Trump’s ‘October surprise’ falls flat, sparking derision

For days, the multi-millionaire vowed to drop an October surprise that would shift the election in Mitt Romney’s favor. He told Fox News on Monday that the news was “very, very big,” promising to release it via Twitter and Facebook.

The social media world waited, Trump trended on Twitter, and then at noon ET on Wednesday the big announcement came in a YouTube video: The Donald would donate $5 million to a charity of Obama’s choosing if the president releases his college and passport records and applications by Oct. 31.

The grand unveiling drew a collective “huh?” from the Twittersphere, with many deriding it as nothing more than a failed publicity stunt.

That was the worst publicity stunt I have seen in a long time. @realdonaldtrump you really need to get a life. Just stop talking.

Many right-leaning news organizations, on the other hand, are backing away from Trump.

The story is nowhere to be found on the Fox News homepage, and the Drudge Report conceded it was a bust. Both websites are pushing a far more damaging story about the president that the Romney campaign is likely hoping the Trump announcement doesn’t distract from.

On Wednesday, Reuters published a story containing leaked emails that suggest the president knew more than he has admitted about the people who attacked the U.S. missions in Benghazi, killing four Americans including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens. That story was already competing this morning with news of a GOP candidate’s controversial rape statements last night.

Last week, the Obama administration shifted into crisis mode over how much it knew about the deadly attacks after Romney made it a centerpiece of his attacks on the president.

When asked about Trump’s statement, senior White House advisor David Plouffe bounced it back into the Romney campaign’s court, telling reporters they should ask the GOP nominee about The Donald:

Beyond the realm of politics, Trump’s “big” announcement offers a few important, if obvious lessons for brands: Don’t cry wolf, don’t distract from the more important story, and don’t look like a cartoon character in a serious YouTube video: